Philtower
National Register of Historic Places

Philtower

Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Listed
August 28, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002032

About this property

The Philtower Building is a historic building located at 427 South Boston Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Completed in 1928, it was designed by Edward Buehler Delk and financed by renowned oilman and dedicated philanthropist Waite Phillips (1883–1964). Associated architects Keene & Simpson performed architectural supervision in the construction of the building. In 1941, Phillips deeded the Philtower Building to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), along with most of his Philmont Ranch and Villa Philmonte. The income from the building was used to help support Philmont. In 1977, the BSA sold the Building to a group of local investors. This group, The Philtower LLC, is the current owner. It is an example of neo-Gothic and art deco architecture. According to the Tulsa Preservation Commission, the building represents the Gothic Revival architecture style. A notable feature is the illuminated, sloping tiled roof. The office on the 21st floor that was used by Waite Phillips has been preserved. The vaulted lobby ceiling is composed of large carved stone rosettes that were created in Italy and reassembled in the building by the same craftsmen that made them. Originally built as a high-rise office building, floors 12–20 were converted to loft apartments in 2004, making the Philtower Tulsa's first mixed use high-rise. The building has 24 floors and is 323 feet tall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was included in the Oil Capital Historic District on December 13, 2010. Voices of Oklahoma interview with Elliot "Chope" and Virginia Phillips. First person interview conducted on May 5, 2009, with Elliot "Chope" and Virginia Phillips, son and daughter-in-law of Waite Phillips. Original audio and transcript archived with Voices of Oklahoma oral history project.

Location

427 S. Boston Ave
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma
36.15222, -95.98875

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Cosden Building
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0 mi
Tulsa Municipal Building
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Mincks-Adams Hotel
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Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building
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0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Philtower listed on the National Register?

Philtower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Philtower?

Philtower is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Philtower?

The period of significance for Philtower is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Philtower?

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